Can Thick Steel Be Layed Atop A Kiln Shef Without Breaking The Shelf During Firing?

[glassy]

I bought 4 heavy stainless steel cylinders (or rods) that are about 1 inch in diameter by 5 inches long from a metal fabricating shop with the intention of doing this fuseing project: I plan to coat the kiln shelf as well as the cylinders with multiple layers of kiln wash. Next I will place the cylinders about 3/4 inch apart across the shelf. Then I will set a 3 mm pre-fused sheet of 90 (about  8 inches long by 4 1/2 wide) on top, and lastly, do a slow slumping. Is this a bad idea? Could the heat of the steel (in direct contact with the kiln shelf) cause the shelf to break? I doubt the cylinders will shift being they are fairly heavy.  

 Thanks for everybody’s input!  Glassy 

[Stephen Richard]

Reading your post, I am not clear whether these are tubes or rods.  Tubes will be fine.  Rods – well, I not so sure.  That is a lot of metal to heat and cool.  Really, if they are 1″ rods I would not use them – not only because of the danger to the shelf, they will be really difficult to heat without breaking the glass.

Second, the heavier the circular metal, the more likely they will react to any uneveness, or vibration. placing pieces of ceramic fibre at the sides will prevent them rolling.

Stephen Richard

blogs at: http://www.verrier-glass.blogspot.com/ and  http://www.glasstips.blogspot.com/

[Stephen Richard]

Reading your post, I am not clear whether these are tubes or rods.  Tubes will be fine.  Rods – well, I not so sure.  That is a lot of metal to heat and cool.  Really, if they are 1″ rods I would not use them – not only because of the danger to the shelf, they will be really difficult to heat without breaking the glass.

Second, the heavier the circular metal, the more likely they will react to any uneveness, or vibration. placing pieces of ceramic fibre at the sides will prevent them rolling.

Stephen Richard

blogs at: http://www.verrier-glass.blogspot.com/ and  http://www.glasstips.blogspot.com/

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